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TAG: John McGowan (Author)

Podcast: The politics of mental health

The panel try to make sense of mental health policy and politics

This week Anne, Rachel and John are joined by two special guests to discuss the politics of mental health. What are the main initiatives in mental health policy? What do the different political parties have to say? Are there even any meaningful differences between them? And does the recent Mental Health Act Review move us forward? To help us think though these questions we had some help from Akiko Hart and Mark Brown, two people far more involved in political conversations than we are. We also have an interview with our colleague, child psychologist Trish Joscelyne, who takes us through the changing landscape of children’s mental health.

Podcast: Working so that people don’t need us anymore

John McGowan talks to six clinical psychology trainees just about to qualify

 

Every September we say goodbye to a qualifying cohort of our clinical psychology trainees. They’ve been with us for three years and it’s always a pongiant moment. This year John McGowan sat down with six of our leavers to talk about their hope for qualified life and the challenges of planning a career in public service. The discussion ranged from the kind of teams they want to work in to whether health services are always the best place to help people. We’d like to thank all of the participants: Abi Davison-Jenkins, Marguerite Gallagher, Helen Layton, Rebecca Newman, Hannah Prytherch and Owen Thompson. We’ll miss you!

 

Podcast: Race and Mental Health

Rachel Terry, Laura Lea, John McGowan and guests discuss two recent high profile publications on the subject of race in mental health

 

Though the effects of race and ethnicity on mental health have been written about and researched for many years, a wide range of inequalities persist in the mental health system. In particular, young black men are over represented in secure services and in the figures for detentions under the Mental Health Act. The last few months have seen the publication of two documents which attempt to improve this situation. One is a recent statement by the Royal College of Psychiatrists aiming to tackle the effects of racism and discrimination in the UK health system. The second is a BME (Black and Minority Ethnic) service user led document, the ‘Kindred Minds Manifesto’. To discuss these, and the multiplicity of ways in which race can influence mental health outcomes, the regular panel is joined by Raza Griffiths, the author of the Kindred Minds Manifesto, and by Trainee Psychologist Lauren Bryan. We also have interviews with sociologist Harshad Keval, Clinical Psychologist and journalist Masuma Rahim, and Psychiatrist Samei Huda*. All have considered the effects of race and discrimination and all have views on what has failed to happen thus far and what needs to happen now.

Podcast: Shit happens and it drives us crazy

Anne Cooke, Rachel Terry and John McGowan discuss whether there is a viable alternative to psychiatric diagnosis.

 

The beginning of February saw the launch of an ambitious document  aiming to offer a new way of thinking about human distress. The Power Threat Meaning Framework (published by the British Psychological Society) emphasises the role of adverse experiences in emotional suffering. The PTMF also offers an alternative to more traditional psychiatric diagnostic categories. The panel discuss the how useful the document may be, and some of the criticisms which have been made of it.

Podcast: Zero Suicide (an idea whose time has not, and should not, come)

This week John McGowan discusses whether trying to eliminate suicide entirely is a possibility or even a helpful aim.

This week’s podcast is recording of a public lecture given in our new base in Tunbridge Wells. In this talk (delivered in December 2017) our Academic Director John McGowan considers the ‘Zero Suicide’ initiative and the strengths and weaknesses of assertive suicide prevention approaches. As well as the talk, the recording features a range of contributions from the audience.